1 posts from August 10, 2014

August 10, 2014

2 p.m. update: After working out Rex Grossman, Brady Quinn and John Skelton today, the Dolphins still have interest in Quinn but are not expected to sign Grossman or Skelton. They also are considering looking at other available quarterbacks, with Josh Freeman, Kevin Kolb and Seneca Wallace among those still unsigned. Standing pat is also an option.

By the way, the NFL says that Pat Devlin, who has been on the Dolphins' 53-man roster the past two seasons, still has practice-squad eligibility remaining.

9:30 a.m. update: We're hearing that besides Rex Grossman, the Dolphins are also considering Brady Quinn and John Skelton and they also are expected to be part of today's workouts.

11 a.m. update: Quinn, Skelton and Grossman just emerged from their Dolphins auditions, inside the team's bubble. Joe Philbin declined to answer directly when I asked him if Matt Moore will be the team's backup quarterback this season. Ryan Tannehill and Moore did all the work in 11 on 11 drills today, with Pat Devlin (back from a hamstring injury) excluded from those drills.

Quinn has played in 24 games and started 20 in seven NFL seasons. He split time between the Rams and Jets last season but did not attempt a pass. In his career, he has thrown 12 TDs and 17 INTs and had a 64.4 rating.

As for Skelton, he has appeared in 20 games and started 17, all with Arizona, between 2010 and 2012. His career numbers: 15 touchdowns, 25 picks and 63 rating. He split last season between Tennessee and San Francisco but did not attempt a pass.

Please scroll down below for information on Grossman, the other quarterback who worked out for Miami today, and more on the team's QB situation.

11:30 a.m. update: A tentative copy of the NBA schedule, which is circulating around the league, has the Heat opening the regular season at home against Washington on TNT on Thursday night, Oct. 30. That schedule has the Heat playing its second game of the season at Philadelphia two nights later.

As we previously reported, the Heat also is scheduled to play host to Cleveland on Christmas Day. Miami is slated to make its first trip to Cleveland in mid-February, just before the All-Star break.

The league theoretically can change anything in the tentative schedule before its release at 6 p.m. Wednesday and that does happen occasionally.

Matt Moore and Pat Devlin returned to practice on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean the Dolphins are completely comfortable with their quarterback situation behind Ryan Tannehill.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said on his WSVN-Fox segment Sunday night that the Dolphins will work out quarterbacks on Monday, and his client, veteran Rex Grossman, will be among those auditioning.

Grossman, 33, played for the Redskins the past four years but did not throw a pass in either of the past two regular seasons. He last appeared in a regular season game in 2011, when he threw 16 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and posted a 72.4 rating.

His overall career numbers: 56 touchdowns, 60 picks and a 71.4 rating. He spent his first six seasons with Chicago, then one with Houston, before moving on to Washington.

Though he was Chicago's quarterback in the February 2007 Super Bowl, Grossman has had a generally disappointing career considering he was drafted 22nd overall by the Bears, out of Florida, in 2003, and was once the Associated Press College Player of the Year.

Moore has been bothered by a sore shoulder throughout training camp and did not play in Friday’s exhibition opener. He worked during Sunday's practice, but the team did not conduct any 11 on 11 drills.

Moore does not believe his shoulder soreness is anything serious and does not believe it puts him at any risk of missing regular season games if he's needed. Still, the situation is somewhat troubling.

Devlin was sidelined with a hamstring injury for a week before returning for Sunday’s light practice. Though Joe Philbin has been a big supporter of Devlin the past two years, his roster spot is now very much at risk.

The Dolphins like undrafted Northern Colorado rookie Seth Lobato, but his best hope of sticking might be as a member of the practice squad.

Moore would make $4 million, with a cap number of $5.5 million, if he’s on the team this season. But his cap hit would be only $1.5 million if he’s not on the team.

Devlin’s salary and cap number would be $510,000 if he’s on the team, zero if he’s not.

Among other unsigned veteran quarterbacks still available besides Grossman: Kyle Orton, Josh Freeman, Kevin Kolb, Chris Redman, Seneca Wallace and Brady Quinn (who signed as an announcer with Fox but hasn't ruled out playing). Of course, Tim Tebow is also available, but there's no indication that any team in the league has any interest whatsoever in him as a quarterback. He's now a studio analyst for the new SEC Network, which launches this month.